Akeso Biomedical, Inc. is developing a new generation of compounds, known as Fe3C, with broad-spectrum activity to fight bacterial infections, and prevent foodborne illnesses. The company’s proprietary technology is being used initially to develop a feed additive designed to prevent food poisoning by Campylobacter, a bacteria that causes more cases of foodborne illness in the EU than Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria combined.

Ascendant Diagnostics is developing innovative new approaches to the improved diagnosis of serious diseases and conditions. Its first product is a non-invasive test for early stage diagnosis of breast cancer. Approximately 240,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the U.S. and the total economic burden of treatment is about $40 billion. However, survival rates are greatly enhanced and treatment costs are much lower when breast cancer is treated at an early stage. Improved diagnostic tests that are simple, reliable and non-invasive could save many lives by detecting the breast cancer earlier. Ascendant Diagnostics’ breast cancer detection technology is aimed at this critical unmet need.

The mission of BioDetection Instruments is to improve the safety and quality of the world’s food supply by providing the highest performance biosensors, assay kits and instruments for rapid detection of food pathogens and chemical residues. The company’s Aegis™ biosensor system provides an unparalleled combination of low detection limits (down to 10 cells/mL) and speed (1 hour) for the identification and quantification of pathogenic bacteria in food and drinks.

BiologicsMD™ is an early stage therapeutic development company focused on developing highly-targeted or ‘smart’ therapies for the treatment of hair loss diseases and conditions, as well as severe bone disorders. The company is developing a series of recombinant fusion proteins that provide powerful stimulatory effects directly to the target receptors at the point of disease – and do so with sustained therapeutic exposure in either a single dose or very infrequent dosing regimens. The company is working on formulation and delivery vehicles that can accommodate parenteral, local, and topical administration.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States and kills 2,400 Americans every day (1 every 37 seconds). It is estimated that 80,700,000 Americans (1 in 3) have some form of cardiovascular disease. CardioWise is developing new approaches to cardiac health monitoring and care. Its first product is a new cardiac imaging modality that:

Enables direct, quantified comparison of data from an individual acquired at different times.

Kalera Medical has developed an innovative vacuum-assisted kidney stone retrieval device that enables rapid and complete removal of stone fragments. The device allows procedures that are faster and easier compared to the current standard of care. Presently, stone removal is the most unpredictable, difficult part of ureteroscopy because current tools, i.e. baskets, have serious limitations. Kidney stones affect about 10% of the population in industrialized countries and the number is growing. There is a 50% recurrence rate within five years. Kalera’s instrument addresses a clear unmet medical need in a rapidly growing market segment

NanoMech was the first company formed by VIC. It now operates as a fully independent, rapidly growing company and is a designer and manufacturer of innovative, application specific nanomaterial based products. One of the company’s key product lines is based on a patented, award-winning technology that allows very small particles to be applied to surfaces in coating form, creating coatings that have extremely beneficial properties. These nanocoatings can be engineered to have valuable properties such as extreme wear resistance, self-lubrication, corrosion resistance, bio-compatibility, and many other attributes important to a wide range of applications. Some of these applications include hard coatings for cutting tools and wear parts, high-strength ceramics, adaptive coatings for military and industrial applications, improved implant surfaces for medical and dental implants, and other applications.

NanoWatt Design™ creates solutions that enable “The Internet of Things” to see intelligently. Information is extracted from camera feeds and presented such that business managers, security professionals and caregivers can make smarter decisions. NanoWatt Design has expertise in Deep Learning, vision processing and object detection. The company is focused on taking video from cameras that are currently deployed with commercial enterprises, governments and consumers, and then adding a Deep Learning software layer to make the cameras smart. In many cases the information allows automation of tasks that were previously done manually (as found in self-driving cars). In other cases, information can be used to improve decision-making on staffing, provide feedback on customer interests and satisfaction, as well as calls for assistance, when needed.

Nob Hill Therapeutics, Inc. is developing the first dry powder nebulizer (DPN) for the treatment of severe respiratory diseases, including non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis and lung infections. Nebulizers deliver more predictable, superior therapy compared to inhalers and are the preferred method of treatment for elderly and pediatric patients. However, their usage has been limited because today’s nebulizers are bulky and cumbersome to operate and require a long therapy time. As a result, nebulizers are typically reserved for hospitals, emergency rooms, home care, and nursing homes where predictable, consistent treatment is imperative. Since nebulizers remain the most reliable way to deliver therapy into deep lungs , there is a growing demand for a more portable, easy-to-use nebulizer.

OsteoVantage is a biotechnology and medical device company that is developing osteoinductive spinal instrumentation to enhance bone formation after spinal fusion surgery. Initial studies have demonstrated both the safety and efficacy of the spinal instrumentation. Future product lines may include osteogenic hardware for long bone repair and electroconductive mesh for facial and skull reconstruction or repair. Bone heals similarly in all animals so at a future point this technology is applicable to both veterinary and human orthopedic surgery.

SFC Fluidics, LLC has unique product lines that span a diverse range of markets including point-of-care diagnostics, analytical instrumentation and drug delivery. A driving trend in biomedical and analytical instrumentation is toward higher performance, lower operating cost and portability. Our products are based on innovative technologies that improve speed, performance and affordability. The company’s mission is to expand scientific knowledge, advance health care, and improve overall quality of life through our enabling microfluidics technologies.

Sevo Nutraceuticals, Inc. was established in 2012 to license and market science-based nutraceuticals. Its vision is to become a market leader in highly efficacious, scientifically researched nutraceuticals that improve people’s lives. The Company’s mission is to build a select portfolio of high value products with clear markets which are leaders in their category. Sevo’s cornerstone product, PERCEPTIV™, was licensed from UMass Lowell in 2012 and was developed under the leadership of UMass Lowell Professor Thomas B. Shea, Director, Center for Cellular Neurobiology and Neurodegeneration Research.

Tesseract Structural Innovations, Inc. is developing new solutions for vehicle safety. Its flagship product, the Uniform Deceleration Unit or UDU, is a unique structure that has the ability to absorb an enormous amount of energy during a vehicle crash. The patent-pending UDU is designed to fit into the wheel well of virtually any light vehicle including cars, trucks, minivans, SUVs, or crossovers. During a small overlap front crash, UDU absorbs significant amounts of the kinetic energy and reduces the crash forces experienced by the vehicle driver and passengers. By absorbing energy, UDU prevents vehicle components from intruding into the driver’s space during the crash. UDU is a clear improvement in vehicle safety, saving lives and preventing serious injuries from offset crashes.

Vixiar Medical is developing a portable, non-invasive device that allows remote monitoring of congestive heart failure patients. The proprietary diagnostic technique, licensed from Johns Hopkins University, allows monitoring of patients that have been recently discharged from the hospital for heart failure, for home monitoring of high risk patients by physicians, by “low capability” clinics & nursing homes, and by emergency departments or emergency medical technicians in the field.

Zebra Analytix, Inc. was established in 2017 to develop and commercialize miniature GC systems based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based separation columns with built-in sensors and heating elements. The company’s patents pending technology offers advantages in instrument size, performance, versatility, and speed of results. The technology also offers new capabilities such as multi-channel partial separations on a single MEMS chip for use as an “electronic nose”. Zebra Analytix’ micro GC technology opens up new market opportunities not presently served by other GC providers including real-time process control applications that take advantage of the exceptional speed of results.

VIC portfolio companies are bringing innovations from the lab to the market to create a better future